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Computers, Long Hours and Vision Problems?
msid asks: "I have been computing for almost 10 years, starting back in 1996 when my father bought me my first computer. In the process, I fell in love with computers and got stuck with them. The last year though has been a real challenge for me. I sleep 5 hours, in average, per day and I spend more that 15 hours in front of my laptop's monitor (a 17" TFT Widescreen), either programming or reading. I have never had 'problems' with my vision up until now. Do you have a specific way of using light sources in your workspace? I have heard of special glasses for computer users. Should I use them or not?"
"A week ago, I checked my eyes and I found 0.25 astigmatism in both of them. They told me that this is not necessarily a problem, and it is mainly due to the intensive computer work. The actual symptom is that I lose my concentration more easily now. Also, the lighting of the monitor is killing me, especially when combined with a white background. Since I am willing to continue working in the same pace that I do now, what do you propose? Is there a habit that you follow to relax your eyes? Is there a way of preventing vision problems?"
IANAO, but IMHO extensive time in front of your monitor is likely to just aggravate or expose conditions you already had or were predisposed to having. It is always well-agreed upon that the best therapy is to never do the same thing for too long. Your eyes would be happier if you got up every now and then and took a walk-- maybe walk to the deli for some Jolt or Dr. Pepper.
Btw, I've been sitting closely in front of large CRT and FP monitors for long periods each shot for over 15 years, and my vision is perfect. Not enough data to state anything conclusive, but I'd guess it supports
"Ain't I a stinka..." - Bugs
Holy Christ. Have you tried a) sleeping more and b) getting outside? Might be a place to start.
-b
myselfmusic
why aren't you googling?
because a google search can't answer questions or provide personal experience in the proper context of the question asked.
And no, Google Answers won't do it either.
i know some people only use laptops, but i never understood such people, especially if you are devoting a lot of time in front of your laptop. if the time commitment is so extensive, then please consider buying a desktop computer. such a setup allows you more freedom and ergonomic choices: changing positions of screen and keyboard and other peripherals, such that you can find the most comfortable angles
additionally, you can change screens, keyboards, and other peripherals without throwing out the core of your workstation. so maybe you just won't help your vision, maybe your spine, wrists, and neck may thank you as well
put it this way: a laptop forces your body to conform to its design. a desktop is forced to conform to your body's design. i think the wear and tear on your body should get more of your respect. so lose the laptop, buy a real computer
intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
If using an IDE then try changing the background/font colors. I'm in an IDE 90% of the time I'm on my PC (which is up to 15 hours a day). I started having vision problems finding it hard to focus on the screen and read properly. I changed out my white background for a Cyan background and that made all the difference in the world for me. p.s. if in England, then try changing your background colours
Second, turn the screen brightness down to a comfortable level (especially when in a darkened room). The brighter the screen, the harder on your eyes. Likewise, if it's too dark you'll strain trying to read it, but most users don't have a problem with screens that are too dark. Most often users max out their screen brightness without thinking about it.
Third, the light source in your computer environment is important. Laptop screens don't have enough power to stand up to natural light easily. Using it inside, I've found that overhead lights are harder on your eyes than lamps. If you can get a desklamp or floorlamp (you can get a nice one from Ikea for $8) that will be much better than ceiling lighting. Soft white bulbs are nicer on your eyes than bright white, flourescent, or halogen (even though they are environmentally wasteful).
Finally, reading from paper is light years easier than reading on the screen, especially if you have a large volume of text to go through. If you can afford it, and don't mind killing a few extra trees, go ahead and print out long articles and read them on paper. Your eyes will thank you.
The Rise and Fall of Online Community
Just get away from the monitor, preferably outdoors, and sleep more. It is unhealthy to be in front of a monitor so much of the time, so drag your ass outside for a while, every day if possible. You don't even have to work out formally, just walk around for a good while.
15 hours in front of a screen is way too much -- you'll likely be dead of a heart attack or suffering from diabetes if you find a solution to your eyestrain.
Workout and manage your time better.
Conformity is the jailer of freedom and enemy of growth. -JFK
Your dad bought you your first computer in 1996... Does that make you 18? 19? That's right about the time that many genetically inherited vision problems start to kick in. You may even have been slightly myopic for years but had an astigmatism that compensated, and now your myopia is getting severe enough to be noticed.
Rather than blowing a ton of money on some ergonomic crap, just go see an eye doctor. They'll be able to tell you without any doubt what has caused your vision problems and how to deal with them (probably corrective lenses).
Welcome to the beginings of old age.
Mod parent up. This sounds like sleep deprivation more than anything. If you're only getting 5hrs of sleep per night then holy cow, of course you're going to have a hard time concentrating. Duh! Try unplugging for a while, taking breaks, and maybe, you know, getting a life and a girlfriend?
Damien
you insensitive clod!
Free MacMini
why aren't you googling?
He/She may indeed already have searched to web and other resources and have a suitable answer. The thing to remember is that not everone is using Slashdot as a Google#2. Some questions are posted that easily solved with a search engine, but in this setting provide a lively forum for peers to discuss the topic. Have a look at the discussion threads. You now have Google results and these threads to ponder. Anyway consider the artile a 'troll' for informed comments and discussion.
Does anyone else notice that usually the questions submitted to Ask Slashdot answer their own questions?
1.) This guy says he has vision problems.
2.) Then reveals that he only sleeps five hours a day.
3.) Then reveals over 15 hours are spent staring at one single surface.
4.) Then reveals a doctor has already told him what's going on.
5.) Then asks how he can relieve his eyes and regain his concentration.
For starters, how about sleeping more than five hours a day and not spending 15 hours straight staring at a single surface?
"Sufferin' succotash."
Huh, maybe that's why I can still see. I don't get out as much, but whenever I need to think something through I look away from the monitor and out the window, focusing on random distant objects.
Moderating "-1, Disagree" is simple censorship. Have the guts to post your opinion.
...the fact that you're 10 years older?
We do age.
Cloned foods give the statement "We had that last week!" a whole new meaning.
You're only getting 5 hours of sleep a night?? And you think there's something wrong with your monitor or glasses?
-russ
Don't piss off The Angry Economist
I have to disagree with this. When I was younger, I used to read books with them about 6 inches from my face. My parents were concerned and took me to an optometrist who told them that my vision was perfect, and reading that close wouldn't do me any harm at all as long as it was comfortable.
What you need to do is stop every 15 minutes for 30 seconds or so and let your eyes relax and focus on a distant object. (ie, out of the window.) You might find that it helps a lot.
If you discovered you have astigmatism, surely the optometrist would have advised glasses at the time if necessary?
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Some people -do- do fine on five hours a day. I'm one of them, in the summer.
For most of the spring-to-fall period, when our days are well over 12 hours long (and slightly over 16 hours in early July), I need about half the sleep I do in the winter. 4-5 hours, tops, and I generally wake up. It's very hard to fall asleep before midnight or 1am, and when I do, I usually wake up around 5am. Sometimes I manage to sleep longer (6-7 hours), and I feel like complete crap for the whole day.
In the winter, our days dip to just under 8 hours long (living at 51 degrees North is fun!), and I need a lot more sleep. 8-9 hours, often 10. I've tried going with less, and always feel awful the next day. I can often sleep 12 hours in December and feel great the next day.
When I was younger the winter didn't affect me much. I used to experiment on myself for months at a time, and I found I was far more alert and at my "peak" with around 5-6 hours of sleep each night, year round. Getting any more didn't help, and in fact usually made me become drowsy later during the day (and yeah, I did this for a few months at a go just to see what would happen).
Everyone's different, and contrary to conventional wisdom there is no magic amount of sleep for everyone. There isn't even a magic amount for any given person, as it depends highly on what you're doing, stresses in your life, diet, exercise, and a million other factors.
Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.